This invention relates to a separator device for separating heavier-than-water and lighter-than-water material from a flow of wash liquid, and more particularly to a soil separator for a dishwasher.
Soil separators in dishwashers are well-known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,282, assigned to the assignee of the present invention discloses a soil separator which allows soil-laden water to flow over a strainer to remove entrained particles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,382, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a soil separator permits soil-laden water to flow into a settling chamber where heavier particles are permitted to settle to the bottom. U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,132 discloses a soil separator which forces pressurized water through one or more filters to remove entrained particles. Soil separators, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,256,557 are also known which block passage of floating particles.
The strainer or settling type soil separators are capable of removing large or heavier-than-water particles, while filters effectively remove heavier-than-water and lighter-than-water particles which are larger than the filter mesh.